SunCoast Gun Show (What a Joke....)

[bill2]

It's not any difference out here on the west coast either. I went to a gun show with a couple of friends on Saturday at the Santa Clara county fairgrounds, here in the bay area. It was $8 to get in, and the building it was located in was much smaller than the ones held in a couple of years ago. Most of the stuff was flea market garbage, with some over priced guns thrown in. oh and you could buy old books and VH tapes of Gunsmoke and some other
60's movies and TV shows. Ooohh, hold me back!
and of course a table with tactical knives, the woman there said they were designed by a Green Beret!. but I'm sure she couldn't talk about it, of course.

I remembered why I hadn't been to a gun show in a couple of years. and won't go again. It makes me wonder if gun shows will exist in 10 years time.

 

[sonofodin]

Look, it's gun related, knife related stuff! What? People want to come and buy our "quality" wares? Hurry, change the tags out and set someone with tickets at the door! . Bah and poodle piddle. I think I'll take my buisiness to the local gun shops...heh, I said poodle piddle...

 

[Dravur]

and now for the rebuttal...

Yes, my friends, I am one of those evil guys who sets up for the gun shows and attempts to hawk my wayward wares. So, sit back and enjoy my stories of woe and dismay.

I work the Tanner show in Denver and while I do agree that the majority of the people at the show are trying to sell obvious museum peices at vastly inflated prices, there are a few guys there, like myself who are there with decent prices on guns as well as a good attitude....

For example, I had on my table a beautiful, 1972 Browning Hi-power with a few mags and in very nice, 98% condition. It has the rich bluing and is just a darned nice gun... for $550. Not a smoking deal, but fair, in my opinion. all of my guns were priced fairly, as were the miscelaneous items.

Now come the unwashed hordes. I smile at almost everyone that walks by and I say Hi and even try and joke around with some.... Here are the responses I get....

The nod and grunt guy - This guy goes through the show at light speed. He has no use for anything except the one thing he is looking for... a left handed extractor for a gun so rare, only 3 people have heard of it.

The dayshopper - This guys wanders by the table at a slow crawl, will not make eye contact and has not opened his wallet since the Carter Administration. He is not here to buy anything, just to block the tables.

The know-it-all - and unfortunatly, this includes alot of the dealers. They are the ones that don't believe in Glocks or think that the Mini-14 they have slung on their back is far superior to the AR-15s and that there are several armies using the Mini 14.....this actually happened at the last show. When you ask him if the Mini 14 is so good, why is he selling it... he mumbles and flees.

The gabby dude - Wants to chat your ear off about X gun, no matter how arcane... No, I did not know the finish on a glock is so tough as it has Kryptonite actually in the finish.... Really, I did not know that salt water was great at cleaning a 1911..... This is usually followed up by... What gun do you think I should buy?

The Geewhiz guy - The one that comes to the table, see the one gun he has been looking for for months and WOW, what a great price, drops a trouser trout in praising the gun, how clean it is, how they have always wanted one, etc... Then they flee like frightened deer..

Gang bangers- Dont get me started. Sorry, I dont have any tec-9s or sideways Glocks.

The Wheeler-Dealer - This guy is the worst. I price things fairly and I don't like to haggle. These are the guys who want you to do everything, can you drop the price to a nickle? can you pick up the background check? can you pay me to take your pistol? The part I really like is when they get huffy when you say...no. I actually thought one guy was gonna cry when I didnt just jump at the chance to give away my guns.

Finally, we have the good guy. a guy like Walt, who would drop by the table, say Hi, chat a little about guns and if he happened to find something he liked, he would buy it. I would cut him a deal as I knew it was going to a good home. Sadly, good guys like Walt pass on. RIP Walt. I miss ya.

 

[sojournerhome]

Cannonball888,
Love the poem, so true.

In Texas the High Caliber Rifle show is okay.
You have to shop around and like someone said,
sometimes from the local guys selling there own
you can get some good deals.

 

[pharmer]

You can rest assured if Khalid was doing anything shady ATFE would be on him like stink on ships. He buys in HUGE volume and routinely buys closeouts from major distributors. Have your cash ready and deal directly with the man on the scooter. If you deal with an employee, they have to get his OK anyway. Joe

 

[Rustynuts]

"Suncoast controls most of the shows anywhere south of Orlando. Recently they sabotaged the Lakeland show by having their show in Tampa on the same weekend and requiring their regular (Khalid& Shoot Straight) dealers to attend or lose their regular spot. It isn't going to get any better. At least the Orlando show still has free parking and a different promoter. Always crowded. Joe"

I don't think this is the case. I went to Orlando, then Lakeland, then Tampa, all on separate weekends. I saw Shoot Straight at all 3.

Suncoast only does Lakeland and Tampa, Southern Classic does Orlando.

Both I believe are owned by the same family, but one had a falling out and started their own show.

BTW, I've bought 2 guns in the past 3-mos at shows. One from Shoot Straight, and one from Pompano Pawn (who matched and beat Shoot Straight's price!). Price was at least as good, if not better, than the web once you figure shipping and FFL fees. This is comparing to the cheapest I've seen, Bud's Gun shop online.

 

[CWhitt]

I posted on Florida Shooter's Network forums about the show...here's the quote of my post:

Went to the show....will never go back.

BAD STUFF:

1) Packed full of "gangstas" that probably shouldn't be allowed to look at guns, let alone own one. I heard the word "foe-tee" used to refer to the .40 way too many times, and I even overheard one call a Hi-Point a "gat"....

2) Packed full of un-escorted kids/teens. Granted, I'm only 23...but there's no reason that there are a bunch of 15-18 year olds running around handling pistols. I got swept by way too many guns to be totally comfortable....saw numerous teens/young adults walking around with their SKS/AR15/Mini-14 for sale, carrying it 2-handed combat style. I don't care if the action or bolt is tied back with a zip-tie..don't carry it around like you're out on patrol and don't @&%* point it at me while I'm walking down the same aisle as you.

3) Just plain packed! Way too crowded around 2:00 on Saturday. Almost impossible to get to most "good" tables.

4) Overpriced! ***? I thought gun shows were supposed to be good deals. Gun show? Yea right, this was just a general gathering of the local gun stores. In fact, I think they raised their prices on the drive over from the store. Better prices on handguns over at Bass Pro Shops, and that's sad. Arizona range/Guns & Knives. Inc? Jeez, get a grip on price reality. Maybe they should downsize their store a bit so we don't have to pay their mortgage.

5) Saturday Night Specials. Tons of crap guns....pandering to the crowd, I guess. Those $120 handguns seemed to be a big hit with the crowd listed in item #1. I guess something had to be cheap, though, because the decent firearms sure weren't (see item #4).

6) CCW badges...***? Every time I glanced over, this table had people LINED up at it. When will people learn? Just reaffirms my belief that most CCW'ers in Broward are in it for the "makes me cool" or "wow" factor.

GOOD STUFF:

6) Mmmmm...beef jerky. Mmmmmm...salmon jerky. Only thing worth buying at the show, IMHO.

7) Some very cool collector stuff (WWII memorabilia, guns, etc.) I don't know if they price on that stuff was good, because I have no knowledge of it...but definitely cool to look at a 1938 sniper rifle and a vintage Garand.

8) Funny shirts. One that had the word "INFIDEL" printed on it in big letters, with arabic writing underneath that.
Another had "Taliban Hunting Club" with "SEASON NEVER ENDS / NO BAG LIMIT" underneath.

 

[CDignition]

Shoot straight/Weapons Unlimited is one of the largest gun dealers in the US. they will undersell anyone at the show just to deprive the other guys of a sale.

I used to buy guns from them for silly low prices..I just fibbed to them I saw a gun I wanted on another table, for $85 bucks less...they didn't even verify it..OK, sold..I had done this many times,lol...

 

[Texas Moon]

Gun shows of today aren't anything like the shows back in the 70's.
Back then the shows were populated with gun nuts with FFL's.
These were the guys who loved guns and wanted to trade/sell/buy to get what they wanted. It was great.
Shows also didn't occur every weekend either.
Nowadays the shows seem to be populated with dealers that are there to maximize their profit and thats it. Gun nuts are hosed.
What really chaps me is the B.S. you hear when you carry a nice piece into a show.
They act like your stuff is radioactive feces and they're doing you a HUGE service taking it off your hands for 1/4 the real market value.
Theirs stuff is, of course, solid gold.
"Yep, this here AK was used by the Cossacks to defeat the Romans at Machu Picchu in 1888. Its worth every bit of $900"

Please...............

 

[salthouse]

Listening to the wild stories from vendors AND shoppers is the entertainment I pay $8 admission for!

I live in SE PA and often go to the Valley Forge, Harrisburg, and now Reading shows. There is lots of overpriced stuff, but I have bought firearms and accessories for fair prices too. I bought a Bushmaste ORC for $800 in March (saw one for $750 on Sat ) and a NIB Eotech 512 for $325 in May. Also the ammo prices are the same as on line without shipping. As long as your expectations aren't too high, you can still get your money's worth at the local shows here in PA.

 

[Evil Monkey]

Damn, The only gun shows I've been to are the Gibraltar Trade Center Gun & Knife Show in MT Clemens MI. It's decent, although there may be some "gangstas" running around, there never seems to be a problem. In my opinion, this show is one of those "middle of the road" gun shows. Meaning it's in no way bad, but it's not a very good show either. Ammo prices are about the same as you would find on the net. You can find any type of mag you want, most at good prices, some not. The guns are usually more pricey than seen elsewhere but there are some dealers that have very low prices as well. The show seems to be balanced.

BTW, I've never seen beef jerky at this show. There probably is, but I've examine many tables and I never spotted them.

I'll keep on the look out.

BTW, it's $2 for parking and free admission on Fridays, but $5 for Sat. and Sun.

 

[Bones11b]

Was at the show in Fort Lauderdale on saturday. Got there early to avoid the crowds and gangsta wannabes. Have to say it was one of the most dissapointing shows I have ever been to. Unless ofcourse you were looking to buy a pool cue, a drill bit that extracts stripped screws, or something else along those lines. Will say i was impressed by pompano pawn enough to pick up one of their business cards. I plan on browsing their wares now that all the fathers day shoppers aren't driving up prices.

 

[ojdidit]

Sig228 - The Fort Lauderdale show SUCKS, but try the West Palm show at the fairgrounds. It sucks too, but much less. I think I have even bought something at that one (other than pizza).

 

[sig228]

Thanks, Dravur

For the different perspective. I just wish all dealers had your philosophy - a fair deal and a pleasant attitude. Unfortunately, for most of these guys its just about making a buck. Many of the gun show vendors and lots of gun shops in general down in South Florida have attitudes as inflated as their prices. I prefer the mom and pop gun shops. I like a little bit of conversation. And I also know when there's not going to be a deal made ( note that i said deal..not steal..or try to get something for nothing) its time to respectfully move on. Never burn bridges. There's always another day.

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

LOL!!!!

ShootStraight/GunsUnlimited? (I never pay attention to the dealer names, sorry), but if that's the dealer with the guy who rides on a Segway ....

They're the one's with the $2,500 Colt that should be $1,150 as a fair price.

So much for "great prices" ...their pistols are OK. By far the best of the show in price - but NOT a deal at all. They match regular gunstore pricing. That's it. I guess they look like a sweet deal since they don't rape like the other dealers. I remember them as the one's with the super long table and large selection.

A friend of mine got the only deal I've ever seen in the history of gunshows (that I've been to of course ). There was a dealer, not the SS/GU guys mentioned above, that was blowing out Springfield XD's for $420 when regular street price was around $450-$460. That's about it. Must have had 30 of them. Table was surrounded by buyers. 3 people filling out 4473's constantly. Sold out of them by 1pm on day one.

 

[03Shadowbob]

DTOM,
Yep, they are the segway guys. They are usually $50-$100 cheaper than anyone lese, if not more. To me, that is a deal. I am sure they are high on some things but in general they are much cheaper. For instance, Gator Guns in WPB had a Taurus PT140MilPro listed at $529 but could "let it go" for $475. Another shop in Ft. Lauderdale is asking $499 for the PT145MilPro. Pompano Pawn had a PT145 at $389 (the lowest I saw besides SS) Shoot Straight has them for $329 for the 40 and $339 for the 45.
There are many more examples but that is just one of them.

 

[Dravur]

Sig228

I have to admit, I am there for the buck as welll. I didn't pay $60 for a table to have everyone admire my gun collection...

I price things fairly cuz I want to sell them. I have never understood the dealers who price things way out of line and then only sell 1 or 2 items... I would rather sell a buttload of items and then go looking for more items to sell.

The one nice thing about this approach is, I have owned just about every gun ever made, gotten to shoot most of them and gotten to keep the ones I like. My permanent collection of guns is an amalgam of all the guns that I personally like and will never sell, and there are gun sthat I buy to resell that end up in my collection if they make my day. The rest get shot and sold.

 

[winchesterjoe]

winchesterjoe

I have been to gunshows all over the States for over 40 years and am a collector of quality pieces.

The SUNCOAST show has become the most rancid I have ever attended. You are fleeced to park and fleeced to get in. It is an expensive way to get to see rednecks and more rednecks and modern gun junk - no good buys at all - the same as in a gun store - T -shirts for rednecks - Jerkey for jerks and did I mention? - LOTS AND LOTS OF REDNECKS -- in the aisles and behind the tables. AND on top of that - the managemnet are rude and crude.

Believe it or not - some 25-30 years ago - it was actually a pretty fair show that had real collectables and not just rows upon rows of 'salt rifles' for witless hillbillies to gawk at. You won't even find 'Forrst Gump' waste his time there.

Suncoast is the PITS - the bottom of the barrel - the last ditch option. It is the ultimate insult to a serious experienced 'collector'. A total waste of time.

 

[AirForceShooter]

I go to the Suncoast shows in Palmetto.
I never go in unless I need something specific.
I walk the parking lot. No fee to park and sometimes remarkable buys from private sellers.

AFS

 

[Guns and more]

Shoot Straight is always the lowest priced.

How does $400 for a mossy 500 in .410 sound? I can buy the same gun from Bud's for $279.
I just came back from the Suncoast gun show in Tampa. I didn't buy a thing. And the air conditioning wasn't running. I had to get out just to get some fresh air.
I almost bought a few oddball things I was looking for, but I'd be paying sales tax and when I added it up, I could do better online.
I guess everyone stocked up on AR's when they were hard to get, because I've never seen so many for sale.
If you want holsters, bags, and knives, it's a great show.
I'm not mad I went, It was entertaining, but when you have one mega-dealer, it takes the LGS out of the picture. I actually had a LGS tell me they are not allowed in the the Suncoast Gun show. I don't know.
So, for $13, I got to people watch.

Oh, and here's the best part. All guns have a wire tie through them. So if you want to look at a pistol, you can't pull the slide back, I looked at a used Sig 225, but the tie was behind the trigger, so I couldn't even pull the hammer back. There's got to be a better way. A revolver has the tie through the cylinder so you couldn't open the action either. No salesman ever said, "here, let me take that off for you."

 

[mustang_steve]

Being a Tampa Bay resident, I've gone to a few of the Suncoast shows.

I agree, they are largely unimpressive. The only reason I went to the first one I ever did was for the inexpensive CCW class (I was already a very safe and reasonably skilled shooter, this was just a formality). I discovered a nice holster maker there that day (cheap, but can be molded into the perfect holster for my sccy), who I still do business with, as well as discovered the Jerky stand there needs to get some better Landjaeger (a type of german dried sausage)....or at least replace it with Droewors (south african dried sausage, easier to make properly).

The thing I remember most was the massive amounts of cheaply made kitchen knives (I love Amerrican made stuff, if they're quality American made stuff), oddball accessories (I didn't know pistol bayonets came in pink either), and nazi memorabilia (seriously? Great image you're giving to the show buddy...).

The place is a mixed bag at best...but it's well worth it when you find a businessman there that's worth doing business with.

 

[CapnMac]

The "market" for shows has definitely changes during my lifetime.
I've been to tiny shows at VFW halls and giant ones like the old AstroHall one (and the Reliant show is just not the same, nor as large). Oddest show always seemed to be the Market Hall show in Dallas. A real mix of vendors and of customers.

What is different now? Well, it's harder to make a buck promoting shows. So the small venues get short shrift. Which is push me-pull you, rent on the BuFo Co Convention center is whatever they set, but you need to get a number of "reliables" who will rent the tables, which means you barely have cash for advertising. Don't advertise and you don't sell many tickets. Or the entrance price goes up. Either way, you get lookie-lous more than customers. Which makes it hard to get legitimate vendors back. Which makes your show ever leaner. But, worst of all, it means the show promoter, then tends to relay on the same entrance ticket buyers in a location, and the people buying tables. Promoter no longer cares much who the customers are, or to bother advertising to them, as long as there is some profit involved.

And, these are tough times, which definitely seems to make the fringes fringier.

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

Its funny that Shoot Straight has the lowest prices at the shows, because their store in Apopka is the bigest rip-off hall I've ever seen.

 

[FLAvalanche]

Shoot Straight DOES have the lowest prices at the Suncoast Gun Shows but even they are on average $100 overpriced.

I actually told the head guy that it's no wonder they ride around on Segways because their prices are just this side of extortion.

My local guy, Spor-Trap isn't allowed to the Suncoast Shows either. They all complained he was undercutting them all and making them look bad when he was charging the exact same prices he does in his shop.

 

[mustang_steve]

Yeah, don't get me started about the goofy scooters (segways)....I did make a bet with a person at the last show I was at...I lost $10...there wasn't a segway-on-segway collision.

I can't help it, seeing those things and how the staff use them just seems incredibly unsafe...it actually creeps me out.